Lesser Masked-Weaver ( Ploceus intermedius, family: Ploceidae)
Birds & Birding in the Kruger National Park South Africa. In Roberts 6 this bird was called Lesser Masked Weaver
The Lesser Masked-Weaver (Latin name Ploceus intermedius) is described
in Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique
Roberts number of 815 and you will find a full description of this bird
on page 1010 also a picture of the Lesser Masked-Weaver on page 1024.
The Lesser Masked-Weaver belongs to the family of birds classified as
Ploceidae. According to the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African
Ornithology the Lesser Masked-Weaver is also known by these other names:
Masked Weaver, Cabanis's Masked-Weaver.
In the previous edition of Roberts (ie 6th edition) the Lesser Masked-Weaver was called the Lesser Masked Weaver
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The Lesser Masked-Weaver is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park. It is however a common resident
In terms of distribution of the Lesser Masked-Weaver in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. Lesser Masked-Weaver : see above distribution map.
The Lesser Masked-Weaver.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
One of the first indicators to take note of when trying to identify a bird is it relative size. For example how big is the bird compared to a well known familiar bird. The Lesser Masked-Weaver is a small bird about the size of a house sparrow. Do not take this relative indicator as anything other than a rough easy to remember indicator. It is not a accurate visualization. The height of the Lesser Masked-Weaver is about 15 cms and its weight is about 20 gms
The male and female Lesser Masked-Weaver have the same plumage and colours
- Head is black.
- Eye is yellow.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is white.
- Back is brown.
- Legs are black.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The Lesser Masked-Weaver feeds on the ground, on the wing and in foliage mainly
Invertebrates
Fruits
Seeds
Nectar
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The Lesser Masked-Weaver takes on more than a single mate (it is bigamous).
The nesting habit of Lesser Masked-Weaver is to create the nest in a hole in a tree trunk. The bird lays eggs which are green in colour and number between 2 to 5
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for Lesser Masked-Weaver are: woodlands and grasslands and riverine areas. The Lesser Masked-Weaver is also at home in wetland and bushveld areas.
You will normally see the Lesser Masked-Weaver in flocks.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Unknown
Zulu ... umZwingili
Afrikaans ...Kleingeelvink
German ... Cabanisweber
Portuguese ... Tecelo-pequeno-de-mascarilha
French ... Tisserin intermdiaire
Dutch ... Kleine Textorwever
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For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 815
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
